End of Days
by Literary Eden
Summary: He cocked the gun, pressing the barrel gently to her forehead. Yuuki stared back at him, her eyes miserable and knowing, as if she could hear his thoughts. Zero pulled the trigger. ZeroXYuuki
1. Chapter 1

_I dont own, nor do I claim to own, Vampire Knights. I have no relationship/agreement with the owner/owners. This story was written for no purpose other than personal enjoyment._

**LiteraryEden**

End of Days

Chapter 1

_Read and Review. Use your voice._

* * *

Ache kissed arbitrary patches of darkness across his wounded heart, smothering down a violent passion. With rancor, it twisted, warping and weaving until the putrid affection was reduced to nothing more than distorted disaster. It twanged with feeble sorrow inside his chest, slowly dying within the walls of its beating prison. It would obliterate rather than salvage his soul.

Raw vacancy hollowed his eyes, drenched their fire, until all that had once been a thriving, burning existence was shriveled down into nothing more than the worthless carcass of a man.

She was there, graceful in her resolve, the beauty of her pose so magnificently perfect he had half a mind to believe in angels. He watched her as she stood, sun hot and blinding against her cream skin, her long hair messed from the breeze. She lifted her ruby gaze to his and he scowled, tightening his grip on the relentless obsession he felt for her. But no matter how hard he struggled, or how tightly he forced his heart to twist - _she would not wring out._

Her scent carried to him with the breeze, fluttering against his senses and warming his frozen soul. He gritted his teeth, willing the sensation away; instead it flourished, sparking a hint of the flames so recently smothered in his eyes. Zero rolled his head back, one hand tightening into a fist. His knuckles blanched white, the skin stretched thin over bulging bones as heat thundered through his veins. The unwelcome awareness coursed through his body like a flame, his desire's rebellion to his hatred a commanding blow to the gut.

His name fluttered like a prayer from her lips and he cracked an eye open, regarding her with much sought after control. With her feet apart and her shoulders tense, she observed him coolly from across the pavilion, her mouth pouted in that flower petal way he loved so much.

The scenery around them was quiet, perished. The trees were deformed, shriveled pitilessly by the unforgiving sun and the effects of warfare. The grass was gone, the surrounding lakes shrunken and putrid with rotting corpses of fish and stinking algae. Cross Academy's powerful sandstone had crumbled years ago and it lay about them in ruins, the withered remains of moss spread over them like varicose veins. This brown, weathered wasteland was all that remained of Earth and Zero wanted to laugh at the perfection of the moment - and the irony.

They were all that was left, Yuuki and himself. Everyone and everything else was gone; the vampires, the humans - all spoils of war swallowed greedily up by the vengeance of Mother Earth. They had scorched her trees with their battles, slaughtered her innocent, soaked her precious soil with blood, and she had taken life after life as compensation. Yuuki and Zero were the last of anything as far as he knew; the last two beings on Earth. How fucking quaint.

"Zero."

He could taste her irritation at having to repeat herself and he glared, his hatred simmering to the surface; calm, _collected_ irritation. She wasn't his Yuuki anymore. And then he barked a laugh, running a hand through his silver hair; she had never been _his_ Yuuki.

He watched her watching him, her red eyes carefully calculating his movements, sizing him up. The scrutiny was familiar, something he'd been experiencing for half a decade from her kind, something he himself had been doing since the Revolution. After that night, there were no more rules. No lists, no conferences, no pleasantry parties. Just fangs and blades and guns. And blood, lots and lots of blood.

Zero chuckled darkly, tugging his Bloody Rose from where it was tucked safely away in the back of his pants. _So much for eliminating the Council, Kuran._

The fight for power had quickly become an absolute massacre, vampires turning on vampires and humans on humans. Once the truth about the undead had leaked to the living, there had been mass paranoia. All sense of trust had died away in humanity's heart, frantic fear taking up residence in the vacancy. Their governments fell first, next their churches, then morality. Anarchy had come quickly then.

It was the chaos that led to their extinction. In panic and disarray, Level E vampires reigned supreme, and the humans were easy targets. It had taken little less than two years for the human race to expire, including most of the Hunter Society.

The only beings to disappear faster were the Purebloods. Lesser vampires, led by rivaling Pureblood families, had swarmed each other's residences and hiding places, sucking one another dry and harvesting the fallen's powers. They'd destroyed themselves in their conquest for power and now they were all dust, even Kaname Kuran.

But not the girl standing before him. How she'd managed to survive, he hadn't a clue, but he was thankful. Each and every day since the rebellion he had pleaded for her safety, had begged whatever god above or below that she would somehow live through it. And so she had... just long enough for him to kill her himself. Zero smirked and cocked his gun.

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Updated: 6/6/2010.


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't own, nor do I claim to own, Vampire Knights or any of the music/T.V. shows listed below. I have no relationship/agreement with the owner/owners. This story was written for no purpose other than personal enjoyment._

**LiteraryEden**

End of Days

Chapter 2

_Brief Author's Note:  
__Music that I listened to while writing this story:  
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica  
Suna no O-shiro - Vampire Knight Guilty End-Theme _

_Read and Review. Use Your Voice._

* * *

_He's the same_, was the first thought in Yuuki's head, _the same._

As she stared, she tried to ignore the sting of the sun in her delicate eyes, but it was a chore. Her blood was thrumming, pulsating like a car engine with her new power. It was still a force unlike anything she could explain; a wild, thundering intensity that threatened to tear her apart with every vibration. She still worried that her small body wasn't strong enough to contain it and found herself again questioning if her brother's decision had been the right one…

_Silent, Yuuki stared outside, the sun uncomfortably hot on her face as she contemplated the arctic wasteland beyond her window. The snow was brown, contaminated with the dust and chemicals left over from human war. The trees and wildlife were withered and shrinking away, unable to rise against the harsh, new climate. She sighed heavily at the thought, her breath fogging the exhausted glass. The sight brought a gentle smile to her face and she recalled a time when she would have traced pretty nothings in the haze with a finger tip. Had it really only been five years?_

"_You're beautiful, you know."_

_His silken voice filled the room and Yuuki tilted her head in subtle pleasure at the compliment, the corners of her eyes crinkling with her smile, "So are you."_

_His dusky, jasmine scent tickled her nose with his approach, his body warm against hers as he leaned in and wrapped his long arms around her shoulders. An immense sorrow was suddenly palpable and Yuuki frowned, "Kaname?"_

_He sighed softly, his breath whispering across the back of her neck, "They're coming for us."_

_Yuuki's kohl lashes lowered, her pale fingertips pressing against the cool glass. Kaname's face was troubled in the reflection, his dark eyes clouded with what she knew were visions of their unpleasant fate. How she wished she could soothe him._

"_We're together," she whispered, her voice heavy, "So, I'm not afraid."_

_His embrace tightened, his silence stretching tense fingers through the air and spilling trepidation into her heart. She swallowed hard against it, her throat like gravel as she leaned her small weight against his broad chest._

"_I will not watch them hurt you," his voice was grave and he turned her slowly to face him, his eyes furious with love._

"_Kaname-" her breath caught as he lowered a hand to the small of her back, his fingers splaying across the satin of her dress. He shushed her softly, slowly dragging her with him to the floor._

_Arms and legs tangled, they held each other for a long moment, Yuuki's head cradled against his chest, Kaname's fingers woven deep in her hair. With a sigh, he tenderly tilted her head back, pressing his soft fingers under her chin and guiding her to his neck. His pulse was slight and sinuous to her gaze, and Yuuki felt her fangs throb._

"_Drink."_

_The heat came in sudden, tantalizing waves, spreading beneath her skin like a passionate blush. Her fingers clenched in the white material of his shirt and she opened her mouth, panting as his delightful scent made her dizzy and warm. The rush pushed her forward and his skin parted easily beneath her fangs, the monster taking over and lulling her with bliss. It was then, as she lay pressed intimately against him, his heartbeat in her throat, that she saw his horrifying intentions._

_With a cry she ripped away, blood splattering the floor as she scrambled from him, "I will _not_!"_

"_Yuuki. Please do this for me."_

_She backed against the wall, one hand over her stained mouth as she fought her tears._

"_My blood will save you. They wont be able to touch you."_

"_No!" she cried, shaking her head, "No, we can fight them together!"_

_"You're not strong enough this way."_

"_Then I'll die beside you!"_

He was instantly still, his eyes deep and clouded as he watched her. _She barely heard him when he spoke, "I cannot watch you die."_

_No, she couldn't possibly do this. She could not._

_"Do not ask me to," his eyes saddened with his voice and her heart wept, "Do not."_

_She turned her face away, wanting to hide from the aguish in his eyes and the answer she couldn't possibly deny him. He came to her, his fingers warm with comfort as they pressed down on her shoulders, and as he took her into his arms Yuuki wanted to scream. Through her dark hair, she stared up at him, burning all that he was deep into her memory; the soft curve of his lips, the delicate perfection of his skin, the ancient perceptiveness behind his scarlet eyes. He was so old. So very old._

_Kaname had been with her always; when she was born, as she'd grown. He was there when she'd been lost and wandering and forgetful, had watched over her as she'd found love in the Chairmen… found love in Zero. She paled as that face flashed before her eyes, lavender eyes shimmering with disgust, silver locks of hair and a tight frown..._

_Kaname's soothing touch stole her back from the memory and she buried her face in his chest, burning with shame; she still hadn't a whole heart to give him, not even now as they stood in his final moments. Kaname deserved so much more, so much more than she could give._

"_Yuuki."_

_His voice was tender with emotions she couldn't distinguish, and when she turned her face up to stare at him, he was smiling ever so knowingly, "I love you," he whispered, "and the love you've given me in return is enough."_

_Tears stung her eyes and Yuuki turned her gaze to the floor, "I love you, too."_

_Kaname's smile softened and he turned his dark eyes to the window. The sweet, subtle scent of sorrow filled the air, "They are coming, Yuuki."_

_The deed was uncomplicated in its difficulty and Yuuki tightened her fingers in his as she felt him slip away. Her heart wrenched along with his, and when its final beat shuddered and died away, hers became nothing more than flesh and blood. _

_It was as she was lowering him to the crimson floor that she heard them arrive, and the powerful anger within her was uncontainable. As it pummeled through her body, fueled by the new strength her brother had given her, Yuuki realized with the sharpest and most cruel of all despair that she would have a tomorrow…_

"How did he die?"

His question was callous and it sparked her hatred anew. How she'd become capable of feeling so much abhorrence was beyond her. The emotion was as alien on her tongue as it was unwelcome in her heart, but it raged just the same.

Yuuki turned her eyes down, knowing Zero had lived with hatred inside him every day since the attack on his family. Her eyes sharpened; so much raw malice pumping through his veins was bound to have a devastating effect. She wondered if she could use it to her advantage.

"You'll soon find out, " she whispered.

The corners of Zero's lips lifted slightly, the safety on his gun clicking with its release. At that moment, Yuuki felt the burden of their tortured relationship, felt the grief and the loss and the yearning; it was a crushing weight.

"You." His laughter was cynical.

Yuuki's eyes burned with a biting fierceness, the ruby of her irises shimmering beneath the cumbersome emotion. The wheezing wind stirred her hair, tickled her flushed skin; she wanted to scream.

"Yes."

The answer was one of dejected heartbreak and Zero frowned, something like envy rousing within his deranged, hateful heart.

"Probably the only thing you've ever done right."

Her fist caught him off guard and he crashed into a slate of sandstone, the immense force causing the foundation to buckle and split beneath him. His spine screamed, stars sparking before his blackening vision as he pushed himself upright. His face stung from the blow and he rubbed his jaw, groaning as the ringing daze began to fade. He lifted tired eyes to his adversary; she was away from him again, barely a shadow beyond the settling dust. He pictured her petite, perfect form nestled against the backdrop of cloudless sky - and cursed.

He winced as he climbed to his feet, his gun scraping against the hard stone; the pain set him on edge, gave him clarity. The air began to clear and he cast Yuuki an impassive stare, watching her chest heave from her exertion. He realized suddenly that there was good chance he wouldn't be standing when this was over - not that he cared. His life didn't mean much. Never had. In a blur he cocked his gun and pulled the trigger twice.

The fizzle of electricity singeing oxygen hissed in his ears as the symbols raced forward. Yuuki dodged them easily, streaking to the left in a graceful leap; and he felt the earth begin to shake. He took off, racing in the opposite direction as he unloaded another round her way. She bounded away from each bullet, focusing her energy on the earth. The soil split behind him, cracks snaking across the expanse of land like a wicked spider web. Zero smirked; chaotic, unmanaged paths - she still hadn't learned to control Kaname's power.

There was a rush of wind and he took a step back, staring up just as she launched down at him from above. He shot away, the sharp _crack! _of breaking earth resounding in the stale space from her impact, the shuddering of the soil reverberating up his legs. Dust flew, mushrooming like smoke through the dry air and he coughed, turning and heading back toward the ruins of Cross Academy, re-adjusting his gun.

She cut him off before he could even reach the broken pillars, her dark hair tangled, her cheeks flushed. She was the portrait of riled perfection, her expression guarded as she calculated the slim probability of his victory. His gaze never left hers as he stepped back, "And the others?" He pressed in the silence, "Did you kill them, too?"

Yuuki didn't answer, didn't even seem to have heard him as she studied his face… his eyes. Something in her expression broke and he frowned, lifting the Rose and leveling it at her heart; but he stalled. When she opened her mouth, her breath was sickly sweet with the scent of vampire, "What are you waiting for?"

Her words froze him, his gaze steady with hers. Her eyes were desperate, pleading.

"Hn, repentance from a Pureblood?" he tightened his trigger finger, his eyes narrowed, "Hard to believe."

"Stop stalling, Zero."

Her hand shot out, clasping around the barrel of his gun. A searing pain shot up through his wrist and he jumped, cringing at the sensation; the Bloodyrose had recoiled from her strength. She tugged at it gently, guiding it from her chest to her temple. She closed her eyes as the cool metal brushed her skin, "You promised me."

"Promises are broken easily enough," he snapped, "What about my reason to live?"

"I'm sorry."

Her apology was sincere, and her woeful regret made him sick to his stomach.

"Yes, I killed them," she whispered, "Kaname gave his life for mine. I didn't want it to be in vain."

"Then why die now?" he barked. Not that he really gave a damn.

"Why not?" She gestured around them, "What's left?"

Zero's heart bloated with anguish before disintegrating in his chest, hissing in a ragged, dying breath - _I'm left, Yuuki_. He was tempted to turn the gun on himself.

"Nothing," she glanced at Cross Academy, her eyes painfully sad, "Just so much nothing."

He didn't reply, just stiffened as he watched her remember things they would both have liked to forget. The sweet moments between them when they were alone, the powerful ones. He felt the bittersweet joy it had given him when she'd saved his life, felt the horrible pain behind his kiss that final day, the anger at her leaving. She was a vampire. Kuran's bride. A Pureblood. A beast.

"_I'll find you someday… and I'll kill you."_

Yuuki looked back to him with miserable, knowing eyes, as if she could hear his thoughts; and Zero pulled the trigger. She hurtled across the yard, electricity crackling around her body and snapping through the dark locks of her hair. Time seemed to suspend, debris kicking up into the air, her limbs reaching toward him, her hair in her face... She landed hard, her body scraping across the crusted earth and stirring up dead grass. It took centuries before she finally rolled to a stop, her slim frame a rumpled heap in the dizzying haze of dust.

Zero lowered his gun slowly, the barrel winding a maze of smoke toward the sky, his hand stinging from the aftershock. He waited for a chorus of triumph to fill him, for the sweet taste of victory… but there was nothing.

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, there you have it - chapter 2, complete.

I'm trying to make our favorite couple a little more mature in their immaturity, if that makes any sense. It's been 5 years since Yuuki left the academy, and she's grown up quite a lot - what with the waring and the hiding, as well as the belated understanding of her feelings for her brother and Zero. Now, tack on Kaname's death (which, I find to be the true relinquishment from her childish self - I guess a part of me feels that Kaname keeps her naive, if not just too sheltered). She's nearing the age that would have been her human adulthood, and with that comes a better understanding of life and therefore a more rounded character. So, if you found Yuuki a little OOC, I wanted that - if it bothers you, I'm sorry but it's not going to change.

Zero, also, has changed some - I made him more bitter and sarcastic. Those qualities are frequently the driving force of his character and I wanted to focus on them in these chapters. Cynicism is such fun to write and honestly, Zero is amazingly hateful. I truly feel that Yuuki was the main person in his life that kept him warm...and I cannot imagine how artic living has been without her.

Anyway, Thank you so much to all who reviewed, especially CelectialCircumference (thank you - so much! You were my first review for this story, and it was a beautiful one at that. Oh, and, sorry about the length - this was actually suppose to be a one-shot, but I broke it into 3 pieces), NinjaSheik, SuperGalGene348, Evelyn Disraeli, WitchyMage, fenderlove13 (thank you so much for your ridiculously kind review. I really took it to heart), and birdy22. A special shout out to Starriecat and her wonderful advice - I fixed it as best I can, thank you! Oh, and a special shout out to Starless as well, who didn't sign in, but still reviewed - thank you! I love you all - you are truly valued by the many writers on this site (myself included), as well as the main source of my motivation and gratification. I applaud you!

Chapter 3 should be up soon!

- Eden

Updated: 6/12/11


	3. Chapter 3

_I dont own, nor do I claim to own, Vampire Knights or any rights to any of the music listed below. I have no relationship/agreement with the owner/owners. This story was written for no purpose other than personal enjoyment._

**LiteraryEden**

End of Days

Chapter 3

**Set the Mood:**

All Time Love - Will Young

We Are Mice (Bleed Version) - Azure Ray

Freshmen - The Verve Pipe

_Read and Review. Use your voice._

* * *

The ground crunched beneath Zero's feet as he approached Yuuki's body, his silver hair sweaty and hanging in his bright, vacant eyes. The Rose was heavy in his hand, weighted down by innocent blood and a guilt he refused to acknowledge. His footsteps were unceremoniously loud amongst the quiet emptiness, the gravel crunching and twisting beneath his scuffed, black boots. The wind stirred, bustling the humidity along and swirling it around the nape of his neck; it settled there, taunting him with its stifling caress. He rubbed his hand across the burnt skin, wiping away the dewing sweat. It was then that he heard the sobbing.

Zero stopped short, his chest constricting so tightly he swore he heard ribs crack. The remorseful weight in his palm evaporated and his fingers tensed around the butt of his gun. It wasn't possible.

He and the Rose were absolute, unavoidable death to the entire vampire race. Had been since the battle with Rido. They were _extinction_. Not even Kaname Kuran could have withstood a bullet from them. It wasn't possible_._

In the rubble, Yuuki gathered herself slowly, arms shaking with her weight as she lifted her aching torso from the earthen floor. Dirt stuck to her face, stinging her eyes; she gagged on the taste of it, wheezing through bruised lungs and coagulated blood. Her overwhelming failure consumed her. All she wanted to do was die. Die and fade away into nothing, but her body refused to fall. The endless expanse of her future collapsed against her shoulders and she sobbed loudly. Such an adolescent vampire and already she was exhausted with the idea of forever.

Zero watched her with his tongue swollen in his throat, his pupils wide and flickering. The scent of her blood hit him like a thirty-ton truck, his incisors punching through the roof of his mouth and throbbing to the point of pain. His gut twisted itself in knots, shivers of potent desire racing beneath his skin. Like a sinner at the precipice of violent oblivion, he fought the fire, turning his eyes back to the girl before him. He needed hishatred.

Yuuki lifted her eyes to his, the shadow falling away from her face, and Zero found what he needed. There wasn't a mark on her. Dirt and grime, but not one, single cut flawed that perfect, porcelain armor. Not one scratch, not even a _bruise_. Zero cursed and lifted his gun- just as a bright, ruby droplet slipped from the corner of her lips_. _

Zero groaned as he felt his eyes dilate, his chest heaving with his restraint. She reached for him, her doe eyes pleading in a way that made him shudder. It was a look that sobered him, his thirst dying with barely a hiss inside his throat. She motioned to the gun, her pale fingers shaking, and he took a step toward her.

The world was silent as he stared down at her, the wind dead at their backs as she stared back at him. He frowned, watching her large eyes as they blinked slowly from shock, noticing the small wrinkle of grief in the bridge of her nose. It was a look he'd seen often when they were young, when one of Kaname's visits would end and he'd leave her. And yet it was so very much more than that now. It was the last look she'd given him that day, her small frame disappearing into the distance, a small glimmer of regret set in the pout of her lips... Zero leveled the gun, pressing the barrel gently to her forehead.

The echo of the blast bounced and skirted across the land, sneaking around the slabs of sandstone and petrified wood; it deafened his ears. Yuuki's back hit the ground with tremendous force, the earth breaking and caving in around her body. Zero stumbled blindly from the crater, the gun singing in his hand. As he steadied himself, he heard Yuuki's cry.

The sound shook their war zone, scouring the wasteland around them and leaving it all the more miserable. It was a sound like he'd never heard before; a wretched, inconsolable sorrow. It brought harsh tears to his dry eyes, and uselessness to his heart.

Yuuki crawled from the shattered earth slowly, looking like a fallen angel with her dark hair matted with dirt and her face streaked with tears. Her arms buckled beneath her weight once she cleared the hole and she hit the soil hard, landing with all the grace of a marionette cut loose of its strings. Her grief was shameless, her face nestled in the crook of an arm, her fingers tangled tightly in her hair. It was a tragic sight, and Zero wanted to run from it, to escape it and all that it made him feel - but he was too numb. He could only stand there... and endure.

The minutes ticked by and the sun beat against them, hot and unsympathetic. Zero watched her shudder with tired eyes, feeling the weight of their pointless, warring lives press through his deadness and against his soul. He found himself wondering how long she'd been alone, wandering this shitty, eroding planet, day after day, hoping to find an end. He was suppose to be that end, he realized, he was suppose to be her relief. That was why she'd sought him.

His knees hit the dirt with such force the caps vibrated, but he barely felt the pain, the Rose falling and landing mutely beside him. He glared at the ground, futility coiling through his muscles like spastic, kinetic energy. He couldn't kill her if he wanted to. After all this time and hatred and planning, after all the years of bitter memories and excruciating regret… he couldn't end her life. His inability to satisfy his life's most ambitious goal, to his total lack of surprise, didn't bother him half as much as it should have. It was a shattering truth, and Zero wanted to rip his chest open and bleed himself into nothingness. What a fucking waste.

Zero stared down at the ruined girl before him and he admitted to himself with a murderous, poignant anguish that he wanted Yuuki to live. He muttered a rough curse and sat back on his calves, jerking a hand through his hair; he wanted her to live, and she desperately wanted to die. The thought forced a rasping laugh from his throat... and the sharpest of pains through his heart.

* * *

Alright. I'm... ridiculously sorry about the delay, and I know it's short. I honestly could not get this part to sum up right. I hated the feel, hated the concept - But - I finally found a way to make it relatively close to what I originally envisioned. So, awesome. Unfortunately, it took a couple of months to do it...and forced a fourth part into the mix. So, there will be another chapter. Hopefully just one more, but who knows, as writing their interaction after this point is going to take some... finese. I hate when authors do the whole - "I LOVE YOU!" "OMG! I LOVE YOU TOO!" - thing... totally unrealistic.

Also, for those of you thinking - does Zero need to swear that much? The answer - probably not, but I want him to. I love swear words (if appropriately used in the story to make things seem more hard edge and... naked?) Frankly, they have a way of making things nitty-gritty. And Zero is nothing (to me) if not nitty-gritty. A lot of it is also, most likely, my American seeping through.

Anyway, hope it was everything you were waiting for. Please, please, review. I love hearing from you. You are my driving force.

With love,

Eden


End file.
